John stretched his arms, yawning as if bored, and walked up to the cliff face. He pressed his palm against the cold stone.
At first, nothing happened.
Then a low hum shook the air.
Cracks in the cliffs glowed like veins of molten light. Dry soil stirred, sprouting shoots of emerald green. Dead trees flushed with new leaves in seconds. Waterfalls burst from the rocks, crashing down in glittering arcs, filling the air with crisp mist.
Most shocking of all—the barren qi veins roared awake. A torrent of spiritual energy gushed through the mountain, so dense it made the disciples' skin tingle.
Lin Feng gasped. "This… this is a grade three cultivation ground!"
Qiao Wen's lips parted. "…He just made a dead peak stronger than most training grounds in the sect."
John brushed his hands against his robe, as if he'd only dusted a table.
"There. No more excuses. If a mountain's empty, I'll just fill it myself."
The disciples' jaws dropped. Even Xuanyu's pupils shrank, but he said nothing.
John turned, flashing his grin.
"From today onward—this is Free Peak."
The disciples were still stunned when John waved at them lazily.
"Alright, brats. You've seen the mountain. Now it's my turn to see you. Step up one by one. Name, what you want, and why you think you belong here."
He leaned back on a boulder, propping his chin on his hand, eyes glinting with amusement.
"Don't worry—I'm not looking for geniuses. I'm looking for the ones who don't fit anywhere else. That's what Free Peak is for."
Lin Feng hesitated, then stepped forward. His fists clenched.
"Uncle John already knows my name… but I'll say it anyway. Lin Feng. I want to grow strong. Not for fame or glory—" his voice shook slightly, but his eyes burned, "—but because I want to become the best sword cultivator the world has ever seen!"
John smirked.
"Best sword cultivator, huh? That's exactly why I picked you. Nothing's more dangerous than someone the heavens can't even be bothered to notice."
Lin Feng's chest tightened, but a grin broke through.
Qiao Wen stepped forward, a little sheepish.
"Qiao Wen. You already know me too, Uncle John. Honestly… I just want to live well, train well, and make sure Feng doesn't get himself killed charging into trouble. If he's walking into fire, then I'll walk beside him."
John barked a laugh.
"Finally, someone with a brain! Good. A fool charging forward is useless without a friend who can drag him back before he dies."
Wen scratched his cheek, embarrassed. Lin Feng shot him a glare that didn't hide the gratitude in his eyes.
The petite girl with ink-stained fingers shuffled forward, muttering even now.
"M-my name is Yue Yingshi… I study formations… everyone says my arrays are useless or strange, b-but they work in my head!"
She fumbled with a jade slip, nearly dropping it.
"I-I want to prove that formations don't have to be rigid. I want to make formations that… that don't make sense to anyone but me!"
John's eyes lit with mischief.
Great, I've picked up a psycho. How wonderful.
"Good! Confuse everyone. Even yourself, if you have to. The path of madness is sometimes the most brilliant one."
Yingshi's face flushed crimson, her eyes shining for the first time.
The trembling boy shuffled forward next, nearly tripping over his own feet.
"M-my name's Zhao Chen… I—I don't know why I'm here… honestly, I'm terrified of everything. Spiders. Ghosts. Even butterflies, sometimes. I don't think I even belong in cultivation but—"
He gulped, eyes wide.
"But I don't want to keep running away either!"
His knees knocked together, but he stood firm.
John leaned forward, smirking.
Now I've got a coward.
"You're scared of butterflies? Perfect. A coward who still chooses to stand is braver than any so-called hero. You'll do."
Zhao Chen looked like he was about to faint—but he also looked relieved.
Finally, the plain, quiet boy at the back stepped forward. His presence was so faint it was almost unnerving—when he moved, half the disciples blinked in confusion, as if they'd forgotten he was even standing there.
"…Liu Chen," he said simply.
He paused, searching for words.
"I… don't know why no one sees me. Even my own parents forget I'm in the room. The sect almost rejected me because the examiner didn't notice I was standing in line."
His expression didn't change, but his tone was steady.
"So I came here to see if I can turn that… into strength. To see if invisibility can be a path."
For the first time, John's smile turned sharp, like a predator spotting something rare.
"Invisibility, huh? Interesting. You might just be the most dangerous one of the lot."
John stood, brushing off his robe.
"Alright, introductions over. You're all weird. Awkward. Crooked. Good. That means you belong here."
He turned to face the rejuvenated mountain, mist swirling around him.
"Remember this: Free Peak isn't about following the sect's rules. It's about carving your own. I don't care if the world calls you average, coward, mad, invisible, or reckless. As long as you walk forward on your own terms—you're mine."
His grin widened, but the air suddenly grew cold. The mountain groaned under invisible pressure, forcing the disciples to shiver.
"But do remember—if you do anything, and I mean anything evil, like killing innocents or hurting your fellow disciples with malice…" His smile thinned into something sharper. "Let's just say you won't like the result."
The disciples' hearts pounded. For the first time, each of them felt the same strange thing: maybe, just maybe, they weren't mistakes.
John smirked, waving them toward the cliffside path.
"Alright, brats. Go pick your caves or huts or whatever. Training starts tomorrow. And don't worry…" His grin widened.
"I'll make sure you regret choosing me."
The disciples scattered, some still trembling, others grinning with newfound resolve as they rushed to claim their caves. Laughter and nervous chatter echoed across the cliffs, mixing with the roar of waterfalls.
For a moment, only John and Xuanyu remained at the peak's heart. One leaned lazily against a boulder, smirking at the mist; the other stood silent, gaze heavy with thought.
Sect Leader Xuanyu finally exhaled. "You truly…" his eyes lingered on the once-barren mountain, now alive with overflowing qi, "…never cease to overturn the heavens themselves."
John only shrugged. "Heh. I'm just making a home. What's the point of a mountain if it can't feed its people?"
Xuanyu's lips twitched—caught between awe and exasperation. He bowed slightly, though his voice stayed cool.
"I will leave the rest in your hands. Free Peak is yours now. May the heavens have mercy on the sect for allowing this madness."
John waved him off. "Relax, old man. You worry too much. They're just kids. What's the worst that could happen?"
Xuanyu's gaze sharpened. He looked once at Lin Feng, Qiao Wen, Yingshi, Zhao Chen, and Liu Chen as they disappeared into the mist, then back at John.
"…With you, John, the 'worst' is what I fear the most."
His sleeve flicked, and he vanished, leaving only the faint tremor of his qi behind.
The peak grew quiet again. John chuckled, muttering under his breath.
"Free Peak, huh? A bunch of weirdos, a coward, and a psycho… tch. Just my kind of people. Let the sect have their geniuses. I'll raise my monsters instead.